Hitler’s Strategic Bombing Offensive On The Eastern Front - Blitz Over the Volga, 1943 PDF
Preview Hitler’s Strategic Bombing Offensive On The Eastern Front - Blitz Over the Volga, 1943
Indeed, many have ascribed the defeat of Germany in the Second World to its lack of a strategic bombing force.
There were, though, two occasions when the Luftwaffe’s twin-engine bombers undertook strategic objectives on a large scale.
The first of these was the ‘Blitz’ of the UK during 1940-41, in which the Luftwaffe attempted to wreck Britain’s industrial and military capacity.
The second was on the eve of 'Operation Zitadelle' - a major offensive against Soviet ground forces in the Kursk salient.
Hitler’s objective was to replicate the successful Allied mass-bombing of German cities, the Luftwaffe being tasked with destroying the main tank and aircraft production facilities and fuel depots, immediately prior to and during the 'great offensive'.
Adolf Hitler saw this as the necessary prelude to the long term weakening and ultimate destruction of all the Russian forces in and around Kursk.
The aerial operation, 'Carmen II', lasted for a month and covered a huge target area from the Rybinsk reservoir out to as far as the Caspian Sea.
For these complex and risky nighttime operations, all the Ju-88 and HE-111 bombers and Airmen available to the Luftwaffe in the Eastern Theatre were to be employed 'without exception to the maximum'.
Both of These Authors who specialise in Eastern Front Campaigns, have collected a huge amount of factual material, reconstructing all the details of this little-known campaign, which was the largest operation ever undertaken by the Luftwaffe while operational on the Eastern front after 1941's invasion.
This book opens a completely new page in the history of the German air war and provides a comprehensive investigation into the nature of the targets attacked, the degree of damage suffered by the Soviet military machine, and how this affected Operation Zitadelle.
The descriptions of the dangerous missions carried out by the Luftwaffe as part of this operation are presented in great detail and all these exclusive facts are complemented by a large number of unique photos and documents.
Originally Published in Hardback in Aug 2021, this is the E-Book Version of that release.
Also Available by the same Authors are:
Air Battle For Moscow 1941-42 and The Luftwaffe's Secret World War Two Missions (Both Pen & Sword Books).
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